A Call to Prayer

Hebrews 13:18-19 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. 19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.
 
IF you wonder, “Does prayer work?” you can look here and to the other epistles to understand how important prayer was to the apostles.
   Prayer is the fuel to empower God’s will into reality. The apostles knew this because they saw Jesus pray. And he taught them that one of prayer’s primary principles is “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) Following their Lord’s example, prayer was one of four primary elements in the early church: Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And we see prayer was the apostles’ daily habit: Acts 3:1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer – at three in the afternoon. 
   For some reason we tend to forget that prayer is a central theme in Scripture. We find its specific reference first in Genesis 4:26 At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord. In the context of the verse, the LORD wants us to know that praying to the LORD God is the mark of a righteous person. Seeking guidance, celebrating blessings, confessing sins and interceding for others must be a common habit of each Christian. Prayer is telling God, “I need you. I worship you. I love you. I trust you.” When you pray a short quick prayer over a circumstance or spend more time to speak to the Lord, you are communicating with the throne of heaven. There is a beautiful celebration of prayer in Psalms 3:4 To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Think of this. The LORD God answers our prayers form his throne. Should we not be in awe and wonder that God is so generous and loving to respond to our prayers?
   He certainly doesn’t have to do so. And maybe you don’t believe he answers you often enough or in the right way. But he does answer each prayer in his will to be done on earth.
   How do we respond when God’s will is different than ours? Perhaps the Hebrews writer was not able to return to this church. He would still remain faithful to God’s mission. We know God did not always answer, “Yes.” to the apostle Paul’s prayers: 2 Corinthians 12:7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
   In faith we can receive all of God’s answers to our prayers – yes, no, later – when we know he has saved us into eternal life.
   Pray for us is also a mark of fellowship in the church. When the people of the church intercede for one another, they will see the Spirit’s moving among them. One mark of a strong church is open prayer for each other. God will become more personal and present with all in the church when people reveal how God is at work through those prayers.
           Pray with confidence your holy Father in heaven is listening. And he will answer in the way that is best for you right now.